Intercollegiate Football Researchers Association ™

INTERCOLLEGIATE FOOTBALL RESEARCHERS ASSOCIATION ™ The College Football Historian ™ Expanding the knowledge and information on college football’s unique past—today! ISSN: 1526-233x Vol. 3 No. 2 (March 2010) circa: Feb. 2008 Tex Noel, Editor [email protected] http://www.secsportsfan.com/college-football-association.html Originally published in Journal of Sport The fact is that Rockne signed a History, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring,1990)—used contract and then backed out of the by permission of the author. contract with the University of Iowa in 1924 to remain at Notre Dame, Researching Archives and signing a 10 year contract. The next College Football History year he decided to go to Columbia, signed a multi-year contract, but broke it to continue at Notre Dame. By Ronald A. Smith Penn State University This information can be found at the University of Notre Dame library-but He would never do that, would he? it will take some archival digging. The paragon of all college football Similarly the archives contain an coaches, the coach with the highest account of a two-year debate over winning percentage of all time, and medical payments, between Rockne, the pride of Notre Dame would not the Notre Dame president, and a break his contracts at Notre Dame medical doctor who was brought in to coach at either the University of at Gipp’s death-bed scene. Iowa or Columbia University. Certainly, you might think, Knute You remember, it was the one Rockne would not do that any more played by Ronald Reagan in the than he and his athletic department 1940 movie, “Knute Rockne—All would refuse to pay the doctor bills American.” That scene is not in the for “win one for the Gipper” archives. George Gipp following his death. Not all coaches have death-bed But, it is true. One only needs to dig scenes, but nearly all have been deeply enough in college archives to paid, and many quite handsomely uncover the misty path of the since the beginning of the twentieth history of intercollegiate football. century. Those salaries can often be found in college archives. For instance, Bear Bryant was making a The College Football Historian-2- to sort through folder after folder and box after box of materials related to intercollegiate football. salary of $17,500 in 1961 at the University of Alabama. The After having searched material on president of Alabama, Frank Rose, intercollegiate athletics in nearly 40 said of him in a letter to another archives, I have yet to find an administrator: “He is the only man archivist who was not helpful. in my 11 years as president who has refused to accept a salary increase. Archivists are accessible, and so are . .” the materials. Another coach, Glenn “Pop” Warner, Prior to any archival search, you had little trouble accepting pay should have a clear concept of the increase or moving from job to job. historical questions you would like to attempt to answer. The history of His football coaching career college football has many included stints at Iowa State, unanswered questions or problems Georgia, Cornell, Carlisle Indian to explore. Several come to mind: School, Pittsburgh, Stanford, and Temple. The archives at Stanford 1) Who has controlled college University reveal an interesting football historically-students, accommodation in 1922 for Warner, faculty, presidents, governing who at the time had two years boards, AD’s, alumni, remaining on his Pittsburgh boosters, or commercial contract. Stanford offered Warner interests? How has that $10,000 for only coaching the control been manifested? Stanford football team during two spring practices, contingent upon 2) What has been the state and becoming head coach in 1924. The federal government’s salary was to be an exceptionally involvement in college high one of $7,500 plus $2,500 for football? expenses, with an additional $2,500 if Stanford went to the Rose Bowl. 3) What was the role of football He accepted. in the creation of the NCAA as the chief inter-institutional If you are interested in research on governing agency? college football, you can be assured that you can do so for the rest of 4) What has been the effect of your life and not exhaust the football being the chief sources. For instance, to research revenue producer in college the history of football at Harvard or athletic programs since the Yale almost certainly would take 1890s? over a year in each institution’s archives. The search can be 4) How did radio and television exhilarating if you have the patience influence the The College Football Historian-3- 14) How has the institutional governing board set athletic 5) commercialization of college policy, and what have the football? results meant to the institution’s football program? 6) How did the entry of African-Americans into college 15) How have football sport influence the direction programs been financed over taken by college football? the years? 7) How did football coaches 16) How have faculty reacted come to dominate to the development of football intercollegiate athletic at specific institutions? programs? Once you have defined your 8) What has been the process historical problems and have read of rationalization of individual basic secondary sources for football programs to produce background (including institutional winners? histories), you should be ready to go to specific archives to peruse the 9) How did football influence primary sources. Some suggestions the creation and development prior to your visit might be made. of athletic programs? Call (rather than write) the archives, 10) What has been the history asking specific questions about the of the development of athletic availability of materials on college scholarships on individual football in the archives and whether campuses? there are any restrictions about looking at them. 11) How has football stadium building symbolized the A few private colleges have rules development of intercollegiate such as no material may be looked athletics? at more recently than 50 years ago.) 12) How has the internal Try to be specific and ask if there institutional control of football are “Athletic Committee Minutes,” by administrations and “Presidential Correspondence,” faculty differed from the “Board of Trustees Minutes,” external control of football by “Athletic Director Materials,” special athletic corporations? “Faculty Minutes,” or “Football Files.” 13) What is the historical relationship of football After you have found that the coaching salaries to those of archival material noted appears to the president and faculty? be valuable for your historical The College Football Historian-4- Some archives limit you to one box at a time. Make sure that the problem, ask about such mundane, material in the boxes and folders but important things as: “What days remain exactly as they were when and what time is the archives you received them. If you wish to open?” “Where is the archives photo copy material, ask the located?” “Is it possible to use a archivist what the procedure is, as typewriter, or are electrical outlets most archives have different available for your lap-top policies. computer?” and “What is the cost of photo duplicating materials?’ Where should you start in looking at college football history? My own Then, indicate, if possible, when you preference is the “Presidential will be arriving and how long you Papers.” That may seem strange, plan to do research at the archives. but from the late 1800s on, nearly all important intercollegiate Archivists enjoy working with people problems, especially football who appear to know what they are matters, found their way to the doing and are pleasant over the president’s office. These would be phone and in person. concerns from faculty, coaches, students, athletic directors, special When you arrive at the archives, try committees, alumni, booster clubs, to meet the archivist or an governing boards, and commercial individual who knows most about entities. “Presidential Papers” are the materials you are interested in. particularly valuable because they are usually the best indexed of all Most archivists know an amazing papers. One can look in the amount about their holdings, and presidential finding guide for such often have an interest in college subject areas as “Athletics,” sport and the development of their “Athletic Committees,” “Football,” or institutions. They will be able to “ ‘Pop’ Warner.” Of course, not all direct you to indices of their material will be found in materials and other finding aids. Presidential Papers.” I would look You will probably want to keep a file for archival materials under the (I use 3 x 5 index cards) of the general subject areas as “Athletics” specific holdings such as or “Football.” Some archives have “Presidential Papers” or “Trustees boxes of material on intercollegiate Minutes,” recording on each what athletics, generally indexed under boxes and folders or volume specific sports. You will also find numbers you eventually have material under specific coaches, searched. After an initial search of faculty members, athletic directors, sources, you will want to ask for or other administrators. I nearly specific material to be brought to always look at the minutes of the your desk forperusal. Three or four governing board where important boxes generally will do for starters. policy (and sometimes The College Football Historian-5- writings, two boxes of photographs, seven boxes of family papers, and the microfilm of 20,000 newspaper administrative) decisions are made and magazine articles (including regarding athletics. If you are three reels of microfilm on football). interested in football coaches, governing boards are particularly There are at least 12 boxes of involved in their selection and firing- material solely on football. The index more so than any other individual in itself, edited by Robert Anthony in the institution with the possible 1982, is 119 pages in length.

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